Je Tsong Khapa
Lobsang Drakpa
(1357-1419)
“Through meditating in this manner on the disadvantages of cyclic existence from different perspectives over a long time, you will see all existence as a pit of blazing fire, and your mind will be thoroughly overcome by the wish to attain the liberation that completely pacifies suffering. If, due to that, you train in the three trainings, you will attain liberation from cyclic existence and, moreover, you will not indeed turn back again even to look at the glory of high status. Nonetheless, since extinguishing one’s own faults and achieving positive qualities is limited, your own welfare will not be complete. For that very reason, the welfare of others will also be temporarily neglected, and in the end, having been urged to do so by the buddhas, you will have to enter the Mahayana. Therefore it is appropriate for the intelligent to enter the Mahayana from the start.”
From Middle Length Lam-Rim with Trijang Rinpoche’s Additional Outlines by Lama Tsongkhapa (and Trijang Rinpoche). Translated by Philip Quarcoo. Unpublished DRAFT translation (May 2012) by FPMT, Inc. Download the PDF here.